Allah
has certainly heard the saying of those who said: "Surely Allah is poor
and we are rich." We shall certainly write what they say, and their
killing the prophets unjustly, and We shall say: "Taste the chastisement
of burning (181). This is for what your (own) hands have sent
before and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants."
(182). (Those are they) who said: "Surely Allah has enjoined
us that we should not believe in any messenger until he brings us an
offering, which the fire consumes." Say: "Indeed, there came to you
messengers before me with clear evidences and with that which you said;
why did you kill them if you are truthful?" (183). But if they
reject you, so indeed were rejected before you messengers who came with
clear evidences and scriptures and the illuminating Book (184).
Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully
your reward on the Resurrection Day; then whoever is removed far away from
the Fire and is made to enter the Garden, he indeed has attained the
object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities
(185). You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth and your souls,
and you shall certainly hear from those who have been given the Book
before you and from those who are polytheists much annoying (talk); and if
you are patient and guard (against evil), surely this is one of the
matters of (great) resolve (186). And when Allah made a covenant
with those who were given the Book: "You shall certainly make it known to
men and you shall not hide it"; but they cast it behind their backs and
took a small price for it; so evil is that which they buy (187). Do not
think those who rejoice for what they have brought about and love that
they should be praised for what they have not done —
so by no means think them to be safe from the chastisement, and they shall
have a painful chastisement (188). And Allah's is the Kingdom of the
heavens and the earth, and Allah has power above all things
(189).

COMMENTARY

The verses are connected
with the preceding ones. The general import of the preceding verses was to
invigorate the believers and inspire them to fight in the way of Allah
with their properties and their lives, as well as to warn them against
weak-heartedness, cowardice and niggardliness. This connects it to
the Jews' talk that "Allah is poor and we are rich", together with their
upsetting the Muslims' affairs, rejecting the evidence of messenger-ship
and hiding what they had been enjoined to make known. These are the very
topics, which these verses deal with. In addition, they strengthen the
believers' hearts to remain firm and steadfast; urge them to be patient
and courageous; and exhort them to spend in the way of Allah.

QUR'AN:Allah has certainly
heard the saying of those who said: "Surely Allah is poor and we are
rich":

The saying was of the Jews,
as may be understood from the next clause which mentions their slaying of
the prophets, apart from other indications.

They said it after they had
heard such divine words as, Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly
loan . . . (2:245). This view is somewhat strengthened when it is
noted that this verse comes immediately after the one, which condemns
niggardly person: "And let not those deem, who are niggardly in giving
away. . . ". Or may be they said it when they saw the poverty and
starvation of most of the believers. They taunted them saying that had
their Lord been rich, He would have taken care of them and made them rich;
therefore He is but poor while we are rich.

QUR'AN: We shall certainly
write . . . the chastisement of burning:

Writing here means
preservation and recording; or it may refer to the writing in the scroll
of their deeds - the net result is the same in both cases. Their killing
the prophets unjustly means that they had killed them knowingly and
intentionally - not by mistake, ignorance or misunderstanding. Allah has
joined this utterance of theirs to their slaying of the prophets because
this was a very grievous word; "al-hariq" (translated here as
burning) refers to the Hell-fire; or flame; it has been said that it has a
transitive sense, that is, that which burns something.

QUR'AN: "This is for what
your (own) hands . . . to the servants":

This clause, "what your
(own) hands have sent before", means 'whatever deeds you have sent
before'; hands have been mentioned because usually they are instrumental
in sending a thing somewhere. The clause, "and because Allah is not in
the least unjust to the servants", is in conjunction with the words,
"what your (own) hands have sent", and they explain the reason for writing
and punishment. If Allah had not recorded their deeds and not rewarded or
punished them accordingly, it would have been tantamount to neglecting the
system of the deeds; and this in its turn would have been a gross and
enormous injustice because huge number of deeds would be involved - in
this way Allah would become most unjust to the servants; far above is He
from such things.

QUR'AN: (Those are they)
who said: "Surely Allah has enjoined us. . . if you are
truthful":

It is related to the
preceding, "those who said". "al-Ahd" (enjoining; order);
al-qurban (that which is offered, is sacrificed like sheep, etc.);
"fire consumes" means the fire burns it. The clause, "indeed,
there came to you messengers before me", refers to such prophets as
Zakariyya and Yahya - those Israelite prophets who were slain by the
Jews.

QUR'AN:But if they reject you,
so indeed were rejected before you messengers. . .:

It aims at consoling the
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) when they belied him. "az-Zubur" is plural of
az-zabur (a book of wisdom and sermons). The phrase, "scriptures
and the illuminating book", refers to such revelations as the book of
Nuh, scriptures of Ibrahim, the Torah and the Injil.

QUR'AN: Every soul shall
taste of death . . . a provision of vanities:

The verse contains a good
promise for the believer and a threat to the rejecter. It begins
with a general rule that encompasses every living being.

"at-Tawfiyah" (full
payment). Someone has proved the existence of al-Barzakh from this verse, because it
implies some partial recompense before the Resurrection Day, when the full
payment will be made. It is a good argument.

"az-Zahzahah" (to remove far), it in fact
implies repeated pulling with haste; al-fawz (to attain the desired
object); al-ghurur is either infinitive of gharra (he
deceived; he deluded), or plural of al-gharr (deceiver).

"al-lbla' " (to test;
to try). Allah first described the tests and trials that had afflicted the
believers; then He mentioned the utterances of the Jews, which could
weaken the believers' will. Now He informs them that such divine tests and
such annoying talks of the People of the Book and the polytheists will
repeatedly affect the believers; that they will have to face such things
and bear such talks. They should remain patient and pious, should guard
themselves against evil, in order that Allah may protect them from
mistakes and weak-heartedness; so that they should emerge as people of
strong and firm determination.

This prophecy gives them
advance news of what they would have to suffer in future; it aims at
preparing them mentally for it before hand, so that they may reconcile
themselves to it. "Adhan kathiran" (much annoyance) has been used
for "annoying talk"; it is a metaphorical use of effect in place of
cause.

QUR'AN: And when Allah made
a covenant. . . evil is that which they buy:

"an-Nabdh" (to cast
away; to throw away); "they cast it behind their backs" is an idiom meaning 'they
left it', 'they neglected it'. Its opposite idiom, 'he put it before his
eyes', means 'he directed his attention to it'.

QUR'AN:Do not think those
who rejoice . . . Allah has power over all things:

The phrase, "for what
they have brought about ", means the wealth that Allah has bestowed
upon them*, which is accompanied by love of riches and niggardliness.
"al-Mafazah" (deliverance; safety). These people were
destroyed because their hearts were attached to the falsehood, and
consequently they removed themselves from the protection of the
truth.

At the end Allah mentions
His Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and His power over every thing.
These two attributes may explain the reason of all things described in the
preceding verses.

TRADITIONS

Ibn Jarir and Ibn al-Mundhir
have narrated from Qatadah about the verse, Allah has certainly heard
the saying of those .... that he said: "It has been reported to us
that it was revealed about Huyayy ibn Akhtab; when the verse (2:245) was
revealed that: Who is it that will lend to Allah, a goodly loan, so He
will multiply it for him manifold, he said: 'Our Lord asks loan from
us! Surely a poor (man) asks loan from a rich one.' " (ad-Durru
'I-manthur )

as-Sadiq (a.s.) said
regarding this verse: "By Allah, they had not seen Allah so that they
could know He was poor. But they saw the friends of Allah (who were) poor.
So they said: 'Had He (Allah) been rich He would have made His friends
rich. Thus,
they boasted against Allah of (their) riches." (at-Tafsir,
al-'Ayyashi )

al-Baqir (a.s.) said: "They
are those who think that the Imam is in need of what they bring to
him." (al-Manaqib)

The author
says:
As described in the Commentary, the first two meanings correspond to
the verse. The third tradition is based on the "flow" of the
Qur'an.

as-Sadiq (a.s.) said: "There
was, between those who uttered (this word) and those who killed (the
prophets), a gap of five hundred years; but Allah attached to them the
(crime of) murder because they were pleased with what they (i.e., their
ancestors) had done. " (al-Kafi)

The author
says:
The gap mentioned in it does not agree with the current Christian
Era. See the historical discourse given earlier.

It is reported in
ad-Durru 'l-manthour under the verse: Every soul shall taste of
death: "Bin Abu Haiti has narrated from 'Ali bins Abu Tali (as.) that
he said: 'When the Prophet died and the condolence began, there came to
them a comer - they heard his voice but did not see his person - and he
said: "Peace be upon you, O People of the House! and mercy of Allah and
His blessings. Every soul is to taste of the death, and you shall only be
paid fully your reward on the Resurrection Day. Indeed, there is in
Allah consolation for every misfortune, and successor of everyone who
dies, and overtaking everything that is lost. Therefore, in Allah put your
trust, and to Him attach your hope; because afflicted is he who is
deprived of reward." ' Then 'Ali (a.s.) said: 'He was al-Khidr.'
"

Ibn Marduway has narrated
from Sahl ibn Sa'd that he said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said:
'Verily, a place in the Garden (just sufficient) to put a whip of one of
you in, is better than the world and all that is in it.' Then he recited
this verse: then whoever is removed far away from the fire andis made to enter the Garden, he indeed has attained the object. "
(ad-Durru 'I-manthur)

The author
says:
(as-Suyuti) has narrated this meaning in that book through other chains
from other Companions. It should be noted here that there are numerous
traditions purporting to give the reason of revelation of these verses;
but we have left them out because evidently they are merely people's
attempts to apply the verses to various events; they are not real reasons
of revelation.

* Evidently it is a slip of pen.
The meaning given by the author could be in place if the verb had been in
passive voice, that is, utu (they were given; they were brought).
But it is in active voice, that is, ataw (they brought; they gave).
(tr.)